Use ‘interrupter’ to stop dog’s feet-biting habit

Dear Cathy: I have a 10-year-old yorkie terrier mix named Max. He weighs 15 pounds and was found (years ago) wandering with no collar or microchip.

This is the first time I have had a small dog. Max likes to attack feet. If he is lying on the floor and you get up from the couch or chair, he will attack your feet. If you are sitting at the table and he is lying underneath, he growls and tries to bite your feet. He also attacks anyone who tries to get him out from under the bed or behind the couch.

We never had a problem until lately. He is fine otherwise. Any advice? — Antonia, East Meadow, New York

Dear Antonia: Let’s address the “biting feet” thing first. It sounds like you have lived with it for years, but we can still change a behavior at any point in a dog’s life. While this is a fairly easy behavior to thwart each time, it does require a lot of patience over time to change permanently.

You need to use an “interrupter,” which is a sound you make to stop and distract Max from the behavior. Clapping hands or a loud “hey” may work initially, but most likely you will need something louder to get his attention.

When Max goes after feet, shake a can of coins or spray a product called Pet Corrector, which issues a loud “shh” sound, to surprise and interrupt Max’s behavior.

The moment Max stops to see where the sound came from, call him to you, ask him to sit and give him a treat. While you should be able to halt the behavior each time, it could take weeks or months before he understands he needs to stop entirely.

As for getting him out from under the bed or from behind the couch, lure him out with a high-value treat — such as a tiny piece of hot dog, chicken or cheese. Then, put storage containers or boxes under the bed and maybe blankets behind the couch, so he can’t get stuck in those places anymore.